Swimming machine



Sept. 10, 1935. A. E. STOKER SWIMMING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 17,1930 M470? [gr I INVENTOR. flzamri fire/me V ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 10, 1935 PATENT OFFICE 2,014,192 STNIMIVIING MACHINEAlbert E. Stoker, Detroit, Mich., assignor of one"- fourth to CharlesWisner, Detroit-Mich.

Application November 17, 1930, Serial No. 496,245

Renewed November 4, 1933 3 Claims.

This invention relates to; swimming machines, and the object'of theinvention is t'o'provide a device-of this character that has sufiicientbuoyancy to keep the heaviest person floatingynear the sur- 5.f-ace ofthe water and which is provided with paddles extending crosswise of thebuoyant body and pivotedte-operate in a single plane and where byoperation of thepaddles will cause the operator to move through thewater at rapid speed and 10 without unduefatigue.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swimming macln-neconsisting -of a hollow buoyant body and a pair of paddles mounted onthe top of the buoyant body and pivoted about a V61"- 15 tical axis whenthe device is in operation in the water and the buoyant body in rear ofthe paddles being free from obstruction so that the operator mayalternately pull first one paddle and then the other through the water"and since no -obstruc- 29 tions are upon the buoyant member theoperator will be permitted the free use of his'arms in manipulating thedevice.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swimming machineconsisting of a buoyant body that will support the weightofan operatorand a pair of paddles pivoted to the top-of the buoyant member and thepivot point'so positioned that the flat portions-of the paddles will liein a vertical plane when the device is in use and the pivct 39 1 pointpositioned sufiiciently in'tlte rearrof the front end of the buoyantmember so that the alternate operation of the paddles will not tend tocause the buoyant member to travel in a zigzag path through the water.

35 These objects and the several novel features of the invention arehereinafter more fully described and claimed, and the preferred form ofconstruction by which these objects are attained is shown in theaccompanying drawing in which- 40 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of myimproved swimming machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof showing the position it will assumein the water when an operator is lying on the rear end thereof.

45 Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail elevational view showing the means for securing thepaddles to the buoyant member.

Referring now to the drawing, the main body portion I is hollowthroughout its length and the rear end is closed by means of the block 2while the front end is closed by means of the block 3, both beingcaulke-d in place to form water tight joints between the blocks 2 and 3and the hollow member I-. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 thatthe block 3 is rounded throughout its vertical height to allow themember I to be easily moved through the water. The paddles '4 and 5'have their inner ends clamped between the upper 5' and lower castings 8and 9 andheld in place by the bolts It extending through the castings 8and 9 and the ends of the paddles.

A block H is mounted upon the upper face of the member l and is providedcentrally thereof 10 with the aperture l-i'and', as willbeseen'byreference to Fig. 3, the upper face of the member ll is set atanangleto the upper face of the member l. A pin i3 is provided at itslower end with a reduced portion M, the same being insertedin theaperture it. The reduced end portion l lis provided centrally thereofwith the threaded aperture l5 for receiving the threaded endof the rodlathe same extending through the member I and having the nut ll threadedthereon and abutting the lower face. of the member 1. A Washer 18 may beinterpose'd'between thelower end of the enlarged portion of the pin t3and the upper face of the member i I. A collar [9 surrounds the rod Itbetween the upper and lower faces of the member i to prevent the nut I!from being threaded too far on the rod l6 and thus distorting the member-l. The pin l3 extends through suitable apertures formed in the bossesat and ti provided: respectively upon the upper and lowerciampiagmembeise and '9 and, as will be seen by reference to 45,'theends 6 and 7 of the respective paddles 4 and 5 stop short of the pinl3 so thatthe paddles may be oscillated about the pin I 3. After thepaddles have been placed over the pin 13 a cotter pin may be inserted inthe hole 22 provided near the upper end of the pin.

By reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the pin l3 extends at anangle to the upper face on 40 the member I and the flattened portions ofthe paddles 4 and 5 will be assembled to the member i to stand at thesame angle so that when the device is in the water and the operatorlying upon the rear end thereof the fiat portions of the paddles 4 and 5and the pivot pin l3 will stand in a plane perpendicular to the surfaceof the water and the lower edge of the paddles will be slightly abovethe water level, as will be more readily understood by reference to Fig.2.

When it is desired to assemble the device, the rod l6 will be threadedinto the lower end of the pin 3 and then bent to the proper angle. Thevertical portion will then be inserted through the member I and thesleeve l9 and the nut l7 drawn up tight against the lower face of themember I. The paddles A and 5 which have previously been assembled withthe clamping members 8 and 9 will then be positioned upon the pin l3 anda cotter pin inserted in the hole 22 in the upper end of the pinwhereupon the device is ready for use. The operator will then take hisposition upon the member I lying upon the upper face and parallelthereto with his arms extended in front of him and his hands graspingthe rounded portions of the paddles. Then, by a slight rolling of hisbody from side to side the flattened portions of the paddles will becaused tobe dipped into the water and then as one of the paddles isdipped into the water and pulled toward the rear and then brought out ofthe water and the opposite paddle dipped into the water and broughttoward the rear, the device will be given a forward motion at a fairlyrapid rate of speed.

It will be understood that, since the paddles are positioned aconsiderable distance to the rear of the rounded end 3 and that sincethe vertical area of the submerged buoyant member is sufficient toovercome the tendency to follow a zigzag course, the device will tend tohold a straight course when in operation.

The buoyant member is greater in length than width and is substantiallyrectangular in cross section at any point of its length and has a flatunobstructed bottom and side faces. The paddles are positioned adistance back of the forward end and provide a rear upper face on whicha person may lie in swimming position at the rear of the paddles. Thus,due to the position of the swimmer when lying on the device when in thewater, the buoyant member must assume a position at an angle to thewater surface as indicated in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description it becomes evident that I have provided aswimming machine which will permit the operator of the same to be movedthrough the water at a rapid rate of speed and without undue fatigue,and further that, due to the construction, the operator is permitted thefree use of his arms and likewise, due to the construction, the devicewill be caused to traverse a straight path.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. A deviceof the character described, comprising a hollow box like buoyant memberrectangular in cross section, the height of the same being greater thanthe width thereof, a pair of paddles pivotally mounted upon the top faceof the buoyant member and at an angle to the same so that when thedevice is in operation in the water and a swimmer positioned on the rearend of the buoyant member the paddles normally occupy a position in aplane perpendicular to the surface of the water said pivotal mountingbeing of a character to prevent oscillation of the paddles thereon in aplane perpendicular to the water.

2. A device of the character described comprising a buoyant member ofgreater length than width and of a rectangular form in cross sectionhaving flat unobstructed bottom and sides faces, a pair of paddlesrigidly connected together and mounted at a distance to the rear of theforward end requiring a person to lie upon the device to the rear of thepaddles and thus cause the buoyant member to take a position at an angleto the horizontal when in the water, and a pivot for the paddlesextending upwardly from the upper face of the buoyant member at lessthan a right angle to the longitudinal center line of the buoyant memberwhereby the axis of the pin is practically perpendicular to the watersurface when a swimmer is positioned on the device, said pivot being ofa construction permitting oscillation of the paddles in a horizontalplane and preventing movement of the paddles relative thereto invertical plane whereby it is required that the buoyant member beoscillated about its longitudinal axis to cause the paddles toalternately dip into the water.

3. A device of the character described comprising a buoyant body ofgreater length than width, a pair of paddles rigidly connected together,a mounting for the paddles near the forward end of the body comprising apin extending at less than a right angle to the longitudinal axis of thebody and brought to vertical position in relation to a water surface bythe weight of a swimmer on the body to the rear of the pivot, saidmounting being constructed to permit oscillation of the paddles in asubstantially horizontal plane and preventing oscillation on themounting in any other plane and providing a construction necessitatingthe rolling of the body from side to side to cause the paddles toalternately dip into the water.

ALBERT E. STOKER.

